"Penelope Trunk is the
world's most influential
guidance counselor."

Testimonials

"Wow! Penelope and I had a coaching call last week. My first coaching call EVER! She nailed my situation and her honesty is warm and refreshing and she rocketed to being my new fave."

Christine said:

"Penelope, I was really lost both times that I requested a coaching call. Both times, you cleared miles of forest for me and pointed me the right way. Thank you for being wonderful. Let's stay in touch."

Ellen said:

You asked at the beginning of our call what I wanted to get out of it. I wasn't sure. In a way that was good. How the conversation progressed was so much better than I expected. I feel really fortunate that I got the chance to have a consultation with you.

Coaching areas

I'd be happy to talk with you about whatever topic you want. Here are some of the issues I have helped other people address:

Rewrite your resume so you look like a star.

You’d be surprised how poor most resumes look to hiring managers, and how good your resume can look based only on the experience you’ve had so far. If only you would let someone else write your resume. It’s very hard to write your own resume — in the same way it’s hard to figure out how to market yourself.

Decide about Grad School: Yes or No?

We can evaluate the pros and cons of grad school so you can figure out if it’s right for you right now. The best way to make this sort of decision is to have someone ask you questions that will help you clarify the issues. We can do that in an hour-long session that will help you make a better lifelong decision.

Figure out your next move.

Most of the questions we have about our careers really stem from deeper questions about what will make us happy, what is in our way, and why is it in our way. After just one hour, I can help you zero-in on your number-one hurdle to getting what you want. And we can make a plan for you to overcome that barrier.

Build a better blog.

A blog can help everyone in their career, because a blog is how you give people a way to hire you for your ideas, and what you can do in the future instead of what you have done in the past. Some of you want more traffic, and I can help with that. But for most of you, the key to a good blog is not so much building a lot of traffic, but building a big portfolio of writing samples, ideas, and links to what you are interested in. I can help you build a blog that works for you.

Prepare for a career change.

I can help you soften the blows that usually come with a career change. We can rework your resume to show you have experience in the new field, and we can make a plan to quickly gain experience in the new field, before you even have to accept a position below where you’d like to be.

Figure out how to work from home.

The flexibility of working from home is great, but it's hard to figure out how to get started. There are so many ways to work from home - freelancing, telecommuting, start your own company, write a novel. There will be one way of working from home that's best for you. We'll figure out a plan that works for you.

To get more information or to schedule an appointment,
Phone sessions are $350/hour.

How it works

1. Pay for a session.

2. Tell me your availability.

3. We talk.

We get a lot done. And you have what you need (mostly likely) in just one session.

4. Then we keep in touch.

Of course. Because that's fun for me. To see how a story unfolds. And when you're ready with another issue to discuss you can set up another session.

Testimonials

Christian said:

After speaking with you in person, I realize you are an
extremely profound and amazing person. Your blog is just a tip of the iceberg. You're like a hacker that is able to see and go right through walls that others can't.

Lynn said:

Thank you so much for talking with me today. You're really the first person who has made any sense of all of this. It's kind of amazing how you were able to cut to the bottom of it so quickly.

Katherine said:

I just wanted to thank you for our phone call. Your words have been rattling around in my head for the better part of two weeks and I think that was seriously the best money I've ever spent. It certainly wasn't the business call I expected, but it was exactly what I needed to hear. Your candor and frankness was refreshing and you are just generally a badass!

Justin said:

I signed the book contract this morning and sent it off. To be honest, putting together the proposal and getting an agent so quickly is a testament to your coaching and Quistic. In a few courses and one-on-ones with you, you've transformed how I write and why I write. I'm really grateful for the indelible impact you've had on me in such a short time.

Paul said:

If you are looking for a swift kick in the pants to get you
moving in the right direction – Penelope is the person to see.
Penelope is unafraid to tell it like it is, push you out of your comfort zone, and make you see things differently.

Ed & Emma said:

What you said on coaching call landed solidly. Necessarily brash and surprisingly insightful. More than surprising actually.
We're processing your comments and considering the next step. In the meantime you have our appreciation.

Emelie said:

I have no idea how long it's been since our phone conversation and I don't intend to write a soppy email, but you should know...YOU WERE RIGHT. Gaw, were you right.
I took notes when we talked, then condensed them to bullet points. I carry it around in my journal every day. I ignored it for the longest time, because I wanted to be who I wanted to be...which isn't who I am. Now that I've accepted it and have an "ONWARD!" attitude about it, I'm getting somewhere.
My journey is just beginning, but I am here only because you told me some tough truths and you were kinda mean. (Which I love, of course.)

Darshan said:

Before I got on the phone with Penelope, I thought there were no good career prospects for someone straight out of college with little experience. However, after talking with Penelope, I've learned that most job postings are poorly written and Penelope knew how to mine my past experience for the details that get a hiring manager's attention. She has that rare ability to take your story and make it cohesive and conducive to applying for your dream job. I'm in the process of doing this work with her and I've felt my confidence and sense of direction come roaring back to life!

Isabelle said:

Thank you for our phone call. You turned my thinking around 180 degrees. Thank you for writing a blog that kept me reading for years and made me trust your advice, and then thanks for the advice. I hope we can talk again.

Kate said:

You turned my life around this week! I was so discouraged about how to manage everything - you brought clarity to my situation and helped me shift my mindset. I am now filled with energy and joy again!

Nicholle said:

I used your resume writing advice and got a job offer with a 53% salary increase. Thanks to you, I beat out competitors with years of experience and piles degrees. Ultimately I turned it down because I have a small child and the commitment wasn't worth the cash. But I still wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge and helping someone without a college degree or much confidence realize I am capable of earning a substantial income if I want to.

Alesha said:

I am so incredibly grateful that you took the time to counsel me last month. It took me awhile to get over the denial that I was actually an “INFP” but you know what????? YOU WERE SO SPOT ON!!!!! I am actually still trying to process how it is such an accurate description and how you could identify it in such a short time “who I am” even though I have spent my entire life trying to be someone else.